A Day in the Life of A Peaceful Dumpling Editor: Mary Hood

By now you’ve read about what we eat, our beauty routines, our wellness and fitness tips, even our weird and crazy cleanses and “I Tried It”s–but now it’s a chance for you to know how we spend our days! 😉 What do vegan bloggers do indeed? Read on!
A Day in the Life of A Peaceful Dumpling editor: Beauty Editor Mary Hood

6:00 AM: I’m usually awakened by either my alarm or my cat, Louis. This morning, Lou must have been preoccupied because I woke up without anyone walking across my chest. I hate the feeling of waking up feeling parched, so I start my day with a large glass of water, usually with a little fresh lemon juice. Most mornings I do about 15-20 minutes of yoga—nothing strenuous—just my favorite stretches and a few sun salutations. Afterward, I’ll sit in meditation for about five minutes, but this doesn’t always happen! Sometimes I get too antsy to start the day!

6:30 AM: For breakfast, I usually drink a large green smoothie. This morning I made it with almond milk, kale, spinach, banana, hemp seeds, and maca powder. I find that starting the day with a green smoothie sets me up to make healthy choices throughout the day. If I’m craving something a little richer, I’ll have steel cut oats with blueberries and cinnamon. Some mornings I’ll drink coffee, but lately I’m trying to stick to white or herbal tea. As much as I love java, the caffeine makes me feel off.

By this time, Lou is running around the apartment, crouching behind the shower curtain, or begging for a second breakfast.

7:00 AM: One of the favorite parts of my morning is putting on my makeup. I start by washing my face with just water (no soap in the morning!), applying toner, serum, and eye cream. I follow-up with a light layer of BB cream and some under-eye foundation. Then the fun part: I prep my eyes with an eyelid primer and get to work on my eyeshadow. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with wearing a light, shimmery shade on my light and contouring with a medium brown—the look has just enough drama for daywear. Then comes my eyebrow pencil and multiple coats of mascara.

A Day in the Life of a Peaceful Dumpling Editor: Mary Hood

Makeup: one of my favorite morning rituals.

After my makeup ritual, I throw on clothes, and pack my lunch and snacks (today is a pretty standard food day; I packed an avocado, leftover brown rice, homemade granola, and unsweetened coconut yogurt).

8:00 AM: By this time, I am on my way to campus where I work as a writing consultant. Some days I don’t start work until 10:00, but I like to get a parking space (they’re a rare commodity later in the morning). I’ll find somewhere to sit—hopefully by a window that faces the bay—and start work on blog stuff. Some days I’m working on a post for Peaceful Dumpling; other days I’m working on a post for Barbara Michelle Jacobs, one of our favorite eco-friendly, NYC-based jewelers! Today was a little bit different since I helped my fiancé proctor a midterm.

10:00 AM – 3:00 PM: My day at the Writing Center really depends on how busy we are. Today, the schedule has been fairly open (Spring Break is next week!), but usually I’ll see at least a few students and help them with anything ranging from brainstorming to citations. My favorite sessions usually involve discussing ideas (rather than commas) and how to structure an argument.

Most of my social life happens at the Writing Center. There’s a small handful of women who work there; some are grad students, some are adjuncts, and everyone has a good sense of humor. Downtime at the WC is always one of my favorite parts of the day. We talk about everything—from Grumpy Cat to essential oils to Aristotle.

Hanging out in the Writing Center.

If I don’t have any appointments, I’ll be on Pinterest or Facebook, doing social media for both blogs and nibbling on my lunch.

3:00 PM – 6:00PM: Around this time, I’ll head home and usually do some form of exercise like running, ballet, or more yoga. Even though I do a lot of work from home, I still like to create a barrier between my work time and my down time, and exercise is perfect for this. Usually by 6:00, my fiancé is home, and I’m working on dinner—another very happy part of my day. This day was a little different, however. After work, I took my fiancé to have a root canal done. I made a huge batch up soup with sweet potatoes and acorn squash that hopefully will last him several days.

6:30 PM: During dinner, we like to catch up on the “news,” so we watch The Daily Show or Last Week Tonight. We always conclude dinner with a few pieces of dark chocolate. Dinner is definitely our time to just veg.

7:00 – 10:00PM: After dinner, I usually read, journal, or work on blogging stuff (planning the next day’s post or slaving away on Pinterest, sigh). Meanwhile, my fiancé works on his lesson plans. Even though I’m working, I like to make it a relaxing experience, so I’ll put on music, drink hot tea, and light a candle. It’s also very important for me to feel refreshed after the busy day, so I’ll squeeze in a shower and “wash off the day.”

Tonight is a little different, though. I’m packing my suitcase for an upcoming trip to North Carolina where I’ll be wedding planning for our May wedding. The trip may involve a little vegan cake testing! Can’t wait!

My bedtime ritual is fairly simple. I cleanse my skin with almond oil and then a gentle soap, apply serum, eye cream, and one of my favorite face oils—usually a blend of argan and essential oils. By the time I head to bed, Lou is ready to snuggle.